Trader Vincent Quinones, center, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange at the close of trading on May 23. Stock markets were volatile on Friday as investors awaited a key U.S. jobs report.

Written by

Christopher S. Rugaber
and Paul Wiseman

More Americans hunted for jobs in May, and more companies filled them - signs of confidence and resilience for the slow-healing U.S. economy.

The 175,000 jobs employers added last month were the latest evidence that the economy could be poised for stronger growth in coming months despite tax increases and government spending cuts.

The unemployment rate rose to 7.6 percent from 7.5 percent in April, the Labor Department said Friday. But that increase was only because more people began looking for work, a healthy sign. About three-quarters of them found jobs. ...